A US soldier who has just returned from West Africa and was found dead near his Texas base where he has been posted was not infected with Ebola. Army officials have been awaiting the results of more conclusive tests after the initial screening which also showed that the soldier was not suffering from Ebola infections.
Post officials said in a statement said, “There is no evidence of a public health threat or EVD (Ebola virus disease) exposure to community or law enforcement officials involved in the current investigation of the death of a Ft. Hood soldier.”
The cause of death or the identity of the soldier has not been released. The soldier had recently returned to Fort Hood in central Texas on emergency leave, post officials said.
Every soldier who returns after a stint in West Africa have to monitor themselves twice daily and report his status to medical officials.
Killeen police spokeswoman Carol Smith told Reuters on Tuesday, “We are not saying Ebola at all. It’s just that because of the circumstances from West Africa, we are erring on the side of caution.”
Joe Hennessey
